Hostel Support Worker

SPEAR London; Twickenham; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday 26 days pro rata

Wellbeing support

Eye test & glasses help

Cycle to work

Season ticket loan

Life assurance

Flexible working

Training & progression

Blue Light Card

Job summary

SPEAR London is a charity working to end homelessness in South West London. We seek a housing support worker for a 14-bed hostel, with 8am-4pm or 2pm-10pm shifts, to support residents with dignity and safety.

You will provide trauma-informed, person-centred key-work, maintain clear records, and hand over between shifts to ensure continuity. You will work with vulnerable adults and follow safeguarding procedures.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting vulnerable adults
• Ability to work across day/evening shifts
• Commitment to safeguarding and risk management

Responsibilities

• Provide a safe, welcoming service for hostel residents.
• Manage a small caseload and deliver person-centred key-work.
• Maintain accurate records and clear handovers to ensure continuity of support.
• Work with safeguarding procedures and respond to incidents as required.

Job description

We are SPEAR, a charity working tirelessly to end homelessness across South West London and beyond. We believe homelessness should be rare, brief, and non-recurring, and we work every day to make that a reality. Our services include street outreach, assessment hubs, supported accommodation, and tenancy support, helping people move off the streets and into safe, secure housing. We take a person-centred, trauma-informed approach, building trust and supporting people to achieve long-term stability and independence.

THE ROLE

You will provide a safe, welcoming, and responsive service for residents within a 14-bed, 24-hour hostel, ensuring their welfare, dignity, and protection at all times during day and evening shifts. The postholder must be able to work shift patterns such as 8am - 4pm or 2pm - 10pm.

You will work with vulnerable adults, remaining alert to risk, responding appropriately to concerns or incidents, and following SPEAR’s safeguarding and risk management procedures.

Working closely with colleagues across the service, you will maintain accurate records, clear communication, and effective handovers to ensure continuity of support between shifts.

You will hold a small caseload of residents, providing key-work support that is person-centred, trauma-informed, and focused on promoting independence, stability, and wellbeing. Your role will help create a calm, well-managed, and supportive hostel environment, where residents feel safe, respected, and encouraged to engage with support and services.

You’ll be part of a welcoming, values-driven charity committed to ending homelessness and supporting staff wellbeing. Benefits include:

• - Generous holiday – 26 days, plus public holidays (pro rata), rising by up to five extra days with length of service.
• - Wellbeing & EAP – 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme with free counselling, money, and legal advice.
• - Health support – Occupational health service and free annual eye test (with contribution towards glasses if required).
• - Cycle to Work – Save on a new bike and accessories through salary sacrifice.
• - Season ticket loan – Interest‑free loan for annual travel passes.
• - Moving house day – Extra day’s leave when you move home.
• - Financial security – Life assurance (4x salary) and interest‑free emergency staff loan.
• - Family‑friendly policies – Enhanced maternity and adoption pay, plus flexible working options.
• - Career development – Ongoing training, learning, and progression opportunities.
• - Blue Light Card – Discounts across a wide range of shops, restaurants, and services.

At SPEAR, we welcome and encourage applications from everyone, regardless of age, disability, gender, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. We are facing diverse problems, so we need diverse people to tackle them.